William t



1 ST T PATENT Gretna. L

WILLIAM T. MGGINNISfOF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AiVIALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,211, dated March 20, 1883.

Application filed December 19, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. MGGINNIS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Amalgamators; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification. t

My invention relates to that class of amalgamators in which gold-bearing sand or pulverized ore is projected into a bath of mercury.

It consists in the combination, with'a bent tube or trap containing mercury, of a rotary fan-blower or blast-engine, to which the sand or pulverized ore is delivered by means of the suction created by the engine, and from which it is ejected and forced by theblast through the bent tube and the bodyot' mercury therein contained.-- The ore enters the mercury from above, on one side, and, passing down through it,emer ges therefrom relieved of allits golden particles by reason of theiramalgamation with the mercury.

The object of myinvention is to producea compact portableapparatus adapted to the treatment of gold bearing sand or pulverized ore without the use of water or need of luel.

In the accompanyingdrawing,which is a sideelevation, partly in section, of my apparatus in portable forma A represents a bench or stand; B, an upright secured thereto; 0, a rotary blower or blast-fan of any approved pattern, secured to and supported by the upright B, and which is capable of producing a strong suction on the inletand a blast upon its outlet side. This blower may be driven by hand-power in the portable machine,-orupon a largerscale by any suitable motor.

D is atube connected to the outletport of the blower and bent to form a trapor U-shaped bend. This tube is supported by the bench A, its bend being carried below the same and its discharge end carried up to a point on a level with or slightly above the blower (J.

E represents a funnel connected with a lateral feed-tn be controlled by a cock, F, and connectcd with the bent tube for supplying the same with mercury as required.

To the inlet-port of the blower a suctiontube,.G, may be connected, to extend to the a bank or pile of sand or ore to be treated. This tube may be made long and flexible to reach different portions of the pile.

The lower end of the band which forms the fitted with a cock, H, through which the amalgam is drawn oif. V

In the use of the apparatus the bend of the tube D is filled with mercury, K, until it has risen in each arm and completely sealed said bend. The blower is now set in motion by hand or by power and the ore ted thereto either by means of the suction created in the amalgamating-chamber of the apparatus is tube G or by means of a hopper communicating with the inlet-port of the fan. The sand or ore thus supplied to the blower is carried forward into the tube D, and forced by the pressure of the blast through the bath of mercury at K, which will operate to take up and amalgamate the particles of gold thus brought tube has been employed, in which a body of a mercury is collected, through which the ore is made to pass under the influence of atmospheric pressure by reason of the exhaust in theouter end of the tube. 1 am. also aware that the amalgamation of comminuted ore has been attempted by forcing it down by means of compressed air into a bath of molten lead.

My invention differs from these .inthat it relates to a novel apparatus in which the dryore is driven forward bya powerful blast of air into and out of a body of mercury, whereby its amalgamation is secured without the need of water or of fuel, and with greater rapidity, and, as I claim, with greater efficiency and at less cost than by the means and processes heretofore employed, as above stated,and with the advantage, moreover, of entire portability and of being ready for work in localities where, from the absence of water and fuel, other appliances are useless.

I do not claim as new the use, in an amalgamating apparatus, of a bent tube as a mercuryholder, nor of an ore-hopper in combination with abent tube,nordra\ving the ore through a body of mercury held in suspension by means of suction exerted above the body ot'the mercury,as set forth in Letters Patent No.2l2,644, dated February 25, 1879, nor forcing the ore through a bath of molten lead, in manneras set forth in Letters Patent No. 59,955, dated November 27, 1866; but

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In an apparatus for the amalgamation of cnmminuted orc or ore-bearing sand, the combination, with a conduit for the supply of the ore, and with a bent tube adapted to be sealed by a charge of mercury placed therein, and

fitted with a discharge-pipe extending upwardly therefrom, of a fan or blowerconnected with the supply-conduit upon the one side and with the inner end of the bent tube on the 20 other, and operating to deliver and drive the ore from the conduit into and through the tube, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name 25 to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM '1. MOGINNIS.

Witnesses:

DAVID A. BURR. JAMES H. SHAW. 

